The present invention relates generally to wireless communication devices, and more particularly to performance testing for wireless communication devices.
Point-to-multipoint services enable wireless networks to simultaneously transmit a message from a source location to multiple wireless communication devices within a specific location or subscription group. Such services are popular with subscribers and providers for their ability to automatically provide sports updates, headline news, weather updates, advertisements, etc. The Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (MBMS) is one example of a point-to-multipoint service for 3GPP.
As with all wireless communication services, point-to-multipoint services have performance requirements, i.e., error rate requirements including block error ratio (BLER) requirements and service data unit (SDU) error ratio (SDU ER) requirements. Therefore, wireless communication devices receiving point-to-multipoint services need to undergo performance tests. While conventional test procedures apply to many wireless communication services, they are generally incompatible with point-to-multipoint services. For example, some conventional test procedures require that the wireless communication device use a bidirectional radio bearer to enable the wireless communication device to loop-back received test data to the test system. However, wireless communication devices typically use unidirectional radio bearers for point-to-multipoint services. As a result, the wireless communication device cannot loop-back received point-to-multipoint test data. Other conventional test procedures require that the wireless communication device operate in an acknowledged mode so that the wireless communication device can indicate whether or not the test data was safely received. However, point-to-multipoint services typically operate in an unacknowledged mode, where the wireless communication device does not acknowledge or otherwise confirm safe receipt of data. Thus, there remains a need for test procedures applicable wireless communication services dependent on unidirectional radio bearers and/or unacknowledged mode operations.